Employee Theft Charges Under the Criminal Law

October 22, 2018

It would be a grave violation of trust for employees to steal from their employers. In Vancouver and elsewhere, the criminal law is harsh on such individuals. They might need legal assistance from a qualified criminal lawyer to avoid further complications such as imprisonment or a criminal record, upon conviction. If not, the record would be a blot in any of their future endeavor.

Legal professionals consider stealing from the employees as more severe than other related crimes, such as shoplifting. In Section 334, under “Offences against right of property”, it is clearly mentioned that anybody who commits theft “is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, where the property stolen is a testamentary instrument or the value of what is stolen exceeds $5,000”.

Similarly, Section 380, under “Fraudulent transactions relating to contracts and trade”, it is mentioned that an individual “is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 14 years, where the subject-matter of the offence is a testamentary instrument or the value of the subject-matter of the offence exceeds $5,000”.

The above notes are only cursory statements related to theft and fraud. In Vancouver, the criminal law might render the guilty individuals unemployed for the rest of their lives. There are also separate sections that directly deal with cases related to theft in different business environments, such as retail stores and corporate houses. It is recommended that those individuals should seek the help of a criminal lawyer in Vancouver to understand the finer details. A mistake or ignorance might prove disastrous, affecting their lives for a lifetime.

A crime is no less serious with the representation of a lawyer. Still, there are ways to cash in on the evidences, which are relevant when the court makes the final decision. For instance, those seemingly little details like the position of the guilty employees in a company, their past criminal record and background can influence the decision.

Sometimes it might take time to charge an individual, yet that could aggravate the condition. If it has taken more than six months, the law requires the crown to prosecute through a more serious indictment rather than summary conviction. Another major role of the criminal lawyers lies in negotiation.

The lawyers can talk terms for an out-of-court settlement. If not, they can further negotiate to avoid imprisonment, remove the criminal record and allow more privileges. It is almost impossible to go to the court unrepresented for such a serious crime such as stealing from an employee.